Siena News Summer 2020

SIENA A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS • SUMMER 2020

Where there is darkness, let me bring your light

SPECIAL EDITION OF SIENA NEWS Just as the new year began and Saints settled back on campus in January, the United States began to feel the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.

Classrooms quickly went from bursting with new-semester jitters, to eerily devoid of life.

This special issue of Siena News will chronicle the stories of how the College and our Saints responded to the global pandemic. From their hospital rooms and at-home classrooms to grocery store aisles and virtual celebrations - our Saints don’t sit on the sidelines.

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SIENA NEWS – SUMMER 2020 Published by: Siena College

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515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 12211-1462 518-783-2300 • communications@siena.edu

CHRIS GIBSON ’86 PH.D. WELCOMED AS 12TH PRESIDENT

• Publisher: Jason Rich ’98 • Editor: Julia Hess ’15 • Contributing Editors: Alumni Relations, Brad Bodmer ’82, Jubilee Contreras ’20, Dr. Chris Gibson ’86, Beth Hazelton ’16, Holy Name Province, Joseph Mixie, Kelly O’Donnell, Fr. Mark Reamer ’83, Jason Rich ’98 and Lisa Witkowski • Art Director and Design: Sergio Sericolo, M.F.A. • Front Cover Photo: Andy Murphy ’17 • Class Notes and ‘In Memory’ Design: Jean Higgs

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• Alumni Class Notes Editors: Mary Beth Finnerty ’85, Kathy Palumbo and Brandon Murphy ’17

MARCHING TO VICTORY

• Photography: Amber Alfonzo ’20, Kayla Allbright ’20, Dr. Matthew Bellis, Connor Carangelo ’20, Eddie Dakwa ’20, Dr. Stacey Dearing, Dr. Jennifer Dorsey, Dr. MaryAnne Egan ’86, Gabriella Ferrao ’20, Noah Franz ’22, Emily Furlong ’21, Dr. Marcela Garces, Sydney Geddes ’20, Rebecca Goldstein ’20, Matthew Harrison ’20, Holy Name Province, Jake Kinney ’20, Alyssa Lewis ’20, Masiel Lopez Almanzar ’20, Jensen McLenithan ’20, Andy Murphy ’17, Maya Nicholas ’20, Scotty Parillo ’21, Meredith Rutsky ’20, Matthew Schunck G’20, Siena Athletics,

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Siena College Alumni, Sergio Sericolo • Video Production: Dave Etzler

SAINTS ON THE FRONT LINES

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Thomas L. Amell ’89

Jan MacDonnell ’83

Thomas J. Baldwin, Jr. ’81

Mallory Massry ’07

Ronald E. Bjorklund ’85

Burgandy-Leigh McCurty ’10

Thomas J. Burke

William P. McGoldrick ’68

Tehresa M. Coles ’14

John A. McMahon ’71

Susan Law Dake

Lisa J. Moser ’97

Virginia Darrow ’83

Very Rev. Kevin J. Mullen ’75, O.F.M.,Ph.D.

Howard S. Foote ’74

John F. Murray, Jr. ’79

Very Rev. James Gerard Gannon, O.F.M.

John J. Nigro H ’13

Christopher P. Gibson ’86

Neerav Patel ’00

Jason Gottlieb ’92

Kenneth M. Raymond, Jr.

Russell Irving ’85

Scot Salvador ’88

Steven L. Lamy ’73, Ph.D.

Nimmi M. Trapasso ’98, M.D.

Br. Walter J. M. Liss, O.F.M.

Br. Basil J. Valente ’84, O.F.M.

Fr. Erick López, O.F.M.

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CLASS OF 2020 VIRTUAL CELEBRATION

SIENA COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2020-2021

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UNPACKED: ZACH & ALYSSA BRIMMER

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Time To

BEGIN AGAIN

Tireless in his pursuit of holy newness, Francis of Assisi, according to early biographer Thomas of Celano, constantly strived to “begin again.”

Throughout Siena College’s history, with each change of leadership, we begin again. With creativity and innovation, and in appreciation for the specific moment in our history, each President has always asked “what is ours to do?”

That is what Francis did, and this Franciscan and fundamental question has always been the welcome challenge for each Siena President.

This summer, we begin again.

As we grieved the sudden death of Br. Ed Coughlin, O.F.M., Dr. Margaret Madden calmly and very capably led us in a period of mourning while advancing Br. Ed’s transformative vision for our future. Our unique way of forming the heart, while educating the mind, imbues the Franciscan tradition into all aspects of campus life. Dr. Madden enthusiastically embraced those values as she helped us mourn Br. Ed, and then steered the College through the initial challenges of a global pandemic with empathy and wisdom.

On May 17, Dr. Madden officially conferred degrees for the Class of 2020. Siena has always graduated compassionate leaders, ready to change the world.

Today’s graduates inherit a rapidly changing world, in need of Saints now more than ever. The Class of 2020 is ready to make its mark. Dr. Chris Gibson ‘86 made his mark on the world, and now returns home.

Our 12th president graduated from Siena and committed himself to the work of St. Francis of Assisi. Whether it was leading peacekeeping

The friars and I look forward to supporting President Gibson as we “begin again”– confident we will authentically accomplish “what is ours to do” under Chris’ leadership, as a College and a community of Siena Saints. - Fr. Mark 4

missions in Kosovo, humanitarian relief operations in Haiti, affecting policy in the halls of Congress or inspiring students in the classroom, Dr. Gibson has

changed people’s lives for the better, advocating for a more just, peaceable, and humane world.

It was my greatest desire that our Board of Trustees would select a president who embodied the Franciscan tradition and Catholic identity of Siena.

It was not necessary to wear a brown habit; it was essential that our future leader embrace our 800 years of Franciscan tradition. In good times and in challenging times, we need someone who will lean into our Franciscan identity, not shy away from it.

Dr. Gibson has already demonstrated his leadership and expertise during this pandemic. He has advocated, on a national platform, for our personcentered approach to education with the need to return students and staff safely to campus, and he has developed a plan that will be replicated by other institutions. At this all-important moment for the College, Siena has turned to a proven leader, a faith-filled and committed partner-in-ministry who exemplifies our Franciscan way.

The friars and I look forward to supporting Dr. Gibson as we “begin again” – confident we will authentically accomplish “what is ours to do” under his leadership, as a College and a community of Siena Saints.

Peace and good,

Fr. Mark G. Reamer ‘83, O.F.M., D. Min. Vice President for Mission and Guardian of the Friary

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FORMER U.S. REP. CHRISTOPHER GIBSON ’86, PH.D. NAMED SIENA COLLEGE PRESIDENT The scholar, author, and decorated military veteran has been named the 12th President of Siena College.

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“I am deeply grateful to the Board for the high privilege of serving as Siena’s next president, and I am sincerely humbled to have been appointed as the College’s first permanent lay leader,” said Dr. Gibson, who graduated from Siena in 1986 with a B.A. in history.

“Siena played an instrumental role in shaping my values and ideals, and I am forever indebted to the faculty and staff, including the many friars who have been so influential in my life. The connection I developed to the Franciscan tradition as an undergraduate inspired my personal calling to servant leadership.

The Franciscan tradition sets Siena apart, and it will inform every decision as I work with the Siena community to advance the legacy of my predecessors and promote the mission of Siena College.”

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I congratulate Dr. Gibson on his appointment as Siena’s 12th President,” said John F. Murray Jr. ’79, chairman of Siena’s Board of Trustees. “The entire campus community looks forward to working with him to build on the College’s current successes and move strategically into the future.

His dedication to liberal arts education and Siena’s Franciscan values, coupled with his leadership experience as an elected member of Congress, military officer, and respected scholar will be tremendous assets as a higher education executive.”

Dr. Gibson served district NY-19 in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011-2017. He finished first among all House representatives of both political parties in the inaugural report of the Lugar Policy Center Bipartisan Index in 2014, and served as one of the co-chairs of the bi-partisan caucus “No Labels.”

He is the author of two books, and is a 29-year decorated military veteran who rose to the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army.

He commanded the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade, leading them to Haiti on a humanitarian relief operation after the 2010 earthquake. He served four combat tours in Iraq and was part of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

In addition to his history degree from Siena, Dr. Gibson holds an M.A., M.P.A. and Ph.D. in government, all from Cornell University.

He resides in Kinderhook, N.Y. with his wife, Mary Jo, and their three children.

He succeeds Margaret E. Madden, Ph.D. who has been serving as Interim President since the 2019 death of Siena’s 11th President, Br. F. Edward Coughlin, O.F.M., Ph.D.

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GET TO KNOW PRESIDENT GIBSON 1. Like many young boys, baseball was my passion and escape from the challenging working class roots I grew

from Siena, in February 1982, was actually a rejection

up in. My first dreams were to someday play center

(I was put on the “wait-list”)! Another object lesson...

field for the New York Mets. While I went on to lead

never, ever quit!

the Ichabod Crane HS varsity team in batting average (.441), my dreams soon came crashing down when I was

3. The military is arguably one of the true meritocratic

later cut by Siena’s varsity baseball squad. Although I

institutions in our country. Great strides have been

didn’t know it at the time, it turned out to be the best

made in living out Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of

thing that ever happened to me. My entire work ethic

our country “living up to what we put on paper.” The

and purpose in life changed. Faced with the devastating

ranks of the military are filled with human beings, so

reality that I was not going to play professional baseball

of course, it is far from perfect. But, earlier than most

(...of course, this was never a real possibility but you

American institutions and to a greater degree, persons

couldn’t tell 17-year old Chris that), I had to change

of color, women, those of lower socio-economic status,

my life. I went from a low-B average student in high

and from across all of American life, have risen to the

school to a straight A-average student at Siena. The

top ranks of the military. General Colin Powell was a

combination of my parents’ teachings, the discipline,

hero of mine.

love and focus of the Siena friars, and Siena’s ROTC program helped forge a new me, focused on

4. In a strange twist of fate, I worked with the actor

servant-leadership in the spirit of Saint Francis.

Sean Penn in Haiti to help the Haitian people recover

2. It’s truly remarkable that I am now assuming the

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since the first official correspondence I ever received

from a devastating earthquake in January 2010.

Although Penn had previously disparaged Army soldiers

presidency of Siena College considering that I came

for their performance in Iraq, he later went on to

from a working class background where I was the first

extol the virtues of the American soldier and share his

in our family to go to college. But this is especially so

epiphany and deepest respect for our paratroopers.

Penn brought two dozen doctors to Haiti and by

6. Although, unfortunately, I possess no natural

working together (my command included about 4,500

musical or artistic abilities, I’m very proud that all of

paratroopers but only about a half dozen doctors),

our three kids are blessed in these areas. Although I

we significantly helped the Haitian people. Object

can’t produce it, I love just about all genres of music

life lesson here: regardless of how differently one

and art. My favorite band is the Counting Crows (we saw

approaches life, you can always find common ground

them live at SPAC and Bethel Woods) and my favorite

with others for a good cause.

art is paintings from the Hudson River School.

5. I’m incredibly proud of my wife, Mary Jo, who is a

7. My hobbies include reading philosophy, hikes

licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) working with

with our family, and long mountain bike rides. I’ve

vets at the Albany Stratton Veterans Administration

completed 10 marathons in my life, including six where

Medical Center and as an adjunct professor at Empire

I finished in under four hours. My wife and I took up

State College. Her leadership skills were really on

surfing in our 40s; quite a rush!

display when I served as a commander in the Army — constantly playing an instrumental role supporting

8. I have difficulty pronouncing some words and names

families during our overseas deployments, representing

and have a mild form of dyslexia, which becomes

our command during funeral services at Arlington

especially evident when I am tired. This makes typing

National Cemetery and visiting our wounded at Walter

and reading prepared remarks really challenging. In

Reed National Military Medical Center while we were

English class at Siena, I was scared to death I’d be asked

in Iraq. When I served in Congress, my constituents

to read a poem or passage out loud in class (working at

always seemed to be more excited about seeing her than

being better at this has been a life-long endeavor). I

me (no surprise there) and she is a supermom to our

remember when I first was running for Congress folks

three children Katie (22), Maggie (21) and Connor (18).

would comment, “Chris can speak for 45 minutes

But you may not know, she is left-handed (like me!).

without a teleprompter.” My response was, “you

It was part of my initial attraction to this beautiful and

don’t want to see me read from a teleprompter - it’s a

powerful woman.

disaster!” Overcoming learning disabilities reinforces my object life lesson: never, ever, quit!

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JANUARY ciao!

Sign up for Management 290 and you’ll be stuck in class on New Year’s Eve. So why has this quickly become one of the most popular courses on campus? Because Italy is your classroom.

Thirty three students in Fr. Mark Reamer’s ’83, O.F.M. Franciscan Leadership course spent the fall semester studying everything that inspired Siena’s heritage; then they went to experience it for themselves. The pilgrimage included Italy’s most sacred and recognizable landmarks, spiritual empowerment, and unforgettable cuisine – the 10-day odyssey invoked the five senses and concluded in the presence of the most recognizable person in the world. And to top it off, Pope Francis welcomed the Saints by name.

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Assisi, home of the patron of the

I was surprised by the amount of

window of his study in the Papal

Friars. Fr. Reamer and Siena College

opportunities for students like me

apartments following Epiphany

Chaplain Fr. Larry Anderson, O.F.M.

who weren’t able to study abroad.

Mass, and as he briefly addressed

led a celebration of Mass in front of

Even though it was 10 jam packed

the sea of more than 20,000

Francis’ tomb. The tour advanced to

days, I got so much out of it. I’m

faithful filling St. Peter’s Square,

the Basilica of Santa Chiara, where

so grateful for the opportunity to

he acknowledged the pilgrims from

the original San Damiano crucifix

experience a different culture and

Siena College in New York. Siena’s

that spoke so powerfully to Francis

really live in the places that made

Italian tour guide quickly translated

resides. They joined together to pray

the Siena tradition and the Siena

the message: “He’s talking about

his words:

mission come to life. Franciscan

The Pontiff appeared at the

you!”

Most high and glorious God, enlighten

leadership is all about innovation

the darkness of my heart and give me

and inclusion. As a future teacher,

trying to comprehend the perfect

a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect

this opportunity has afforded me

ending to the transformative

charity, sense, and knowledge so that

new insights about being there for

voyage. “These 10 days were the

I may carry out your holy and true

others and being a compassionate

highlight of my Siena experience.

command.

leader,” Megan Power ’20 said.

Emma Bidell ’21 got emotional

The memories will last all of us a

“It felt like a holy city on the

Sometimes you just need to feel,

hill,” Chris Estremera ’21 said. “At

see, hear, smell, and taste what

first, I didn’t even see St. Francis’

could never be conveyed through a

City provided an emphatic

Basilica, but when we got to that

book or computer. Siena’s Education

exclamation point, the highlight for

point, I had to take at least 50

for a Lifetime was on full display

many was walking in the footsteps

different pictures of it. It was the

when light first dawned in 2020.

of Francis and Clare under the

most beautiful thing I had ever

Tuscan sun and amidst the Umbrian

seen.”

lifetime.”

While the energy of the Eternal

countryside.

In Siena’s namesake city, a visit

The Saints visited the birthplace of the Franciscan Order, the

to the chapel of our College’s patron

Portiuncula, inside Basilica of

Bernardine offered private tours

St. Mary of the Angels and even

of his relics, including the original

ventured up the hills of Assisi to

IHS icon which forms the seal of

the Hermitage of the Carceri, where

Siena College. A day trip to Florence

Francis and his friars retreated from

– the jewel of the Renaissance –

the world to pray and fast 800 years

featured the Franciscan Basilica

ago – the likely inspiration for his

of Santa Croce which holds the

Canticle of Creation.

tombs of Rossini, Michelangelo,

The peace and tranquility of Assisi

Galileo and Machiavelli, and a

surrendered to the lights of Rome

visit to the Academy of Fine Arts

where Italian guides Priscella and

to admire Michelangelo’s original

Elisabetta led a twilight “Baroque

David. Our Saints were invited to

walk” – a sightseeing tour featuring

a private dinner with the villagers

the Spanish Steps, the Trevi

of Bruco Contrada on their final

Fountain, the Arch of Constantine,

night in Siena, learning about the

and the Pantheon. A delightful

city’s unique culture while gaining

adventure through the treasures of

new appreciation for cheering

the Vatican Museum and a chance to

on the Green and Gold through

explore the Colosseum awaited our

a fascinating presentation and

Saints in the final days.

conversation with locals.

New Year’s Eve was spent in

“Siena has a lot to offer getting involved on campus, but 11

EYES ON 2020 SIENA STUDENTS WORK THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Twenty Siena political science

students spent a week working the phones and pounding the

New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

“The public generally sees a presidential campaign

pavement in New Hampshire

as a big-money, well-oiled machine that is very much

to get a taste of grassroots

a national production,” said Collens. “In reality it’s all

campaigning in advance of

about the grassroots. It’s all about knocking on doors

the Granite State’s February 11

and phone banking, talking directly to voters. It’s very

presidential primary – the first

much boots on the ground and manpower driven.”

contest of its kind in the nation.

The January trip was part of the

Emma Willette ’23, Dana Wakeman ’21 and Christina Noeldechen ’21 all conducted phone banking for Sen.

Presidential Nominating Campaigns

Amy Klobuchar’s campaign. They were given a script of

class taught this spring by Jack

what to say to each potential voter, then tracked how

Collens, Ph.D, assistant professor of political science and international relations. The students were embedded as volunteers with Democratic

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ABC affiliate WMUR-TV and visited St. Anselm College's

likely the voter would be to support Klobuchar. They also promoted upcoming campaign events.

“This experience is important because not only am I

and Republican campaigns to learn firsthand how our

getting a look into my political future, I’m learning what

nation chooses a president. They canvassed door-to-

is happening in real time politics,” said Noeldechen.

door to engage with voters, attended a “policy school,”

“Primary elections are significantly underrated and few

conducted phone banking and did research at campaign

voters pay attention to them. It’s important for me to

offices. They also went to campaign town halls, toured

learn more about the process and truly apply in real life

what I’ve learned previously in my textbooks. Also, it’s

“Some people working on the Biden campaign

a lot of fun! I get to travel to new places and understand

are right out of undergrad and seeing the power our

different perspectives and opinions, despite political

generation has in these groundbreaking campaigns is

affiliation and ideology.”

really inspiring for me and my future career ideas. This

Nick Desautels ’20 and Cristian Spariosu ’23 canvassed in Manchester for President Trump’s

experience is important because you get to see all of the hard work on a campaign first hand.”

re-election. They used an app called Advantage

Collens said the students had planned to continue

to see which doors to knock on, and to input the

their volunteer work for a narrowed field of candidates

conversations they had with each voter. They also met

for the April 28 New York primaries. Those contests

with Trump’s regional campaign director.

were cancelled, then rescheduled; some of his students

“I was really impressed with him,” said Desautels.

“He’s only a year older than me and he seems to love

are now working with local and state campaigns to continue honing their political skills.

what he does. The amount of work he puts in is nuts. It was a great experience and shows if you’re passionate about it, you can climb the political ladder quickly.”

Spariosu added, “I really enjoy the long conversations when I go door to door. The issues really matter to people and I love that type of engagement.”

Desautels was interviewed by the BBC while attending a Pete Buttigieg rally, a segment that trended on the British news outlet’s website for a couple days.

The entire class was interviewed for a front page feature in the Albany Times Union.

Natalie Valachovic ’21 spent a week canvassing for Joe Biden and like her classmates was impressed that much of the campaign leadership for all the candidates is so young.

Saints gather at a local brewery for a debate watch party.

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FEBRUARY

INTERNSHIP SPOTLIGHT: SENIORS HONE SKILLS TO PREPARE FOR GRADUATION CONNOR CARANGELO ’20: ROSS PARK ZOO There are certain life skills you learn at an internship that you just can’t acquire from a textbook - like the proper technique for giving a penguin a bath.

Connor Carangelo ’20 needed something to qualify for credit toward his environmental major — he wanted to get his hands dirty. Inside the goats’ pen, that’s exactly what happened.

His responsibilities at the Ross Park Zoo in Binghamton, New York centered around animal care. He assisted the zookeepers by preparing meals, providing enrichment for the animals, and cleaning habitats. There were also goats that needed grooming.

While the days started earlier than most people might imagine, who else got to hand-feed a sloth at

BRIANNA BROWN ’20: POTRATZ Brianna Brown ’20 was scheduled to work on the car commercial shoot, but she was never supposed to be in the commercial. The digital marketing major scored an internship with Potratz - an automotive advertising agency that works with major clients such as Ford, Nissan, Honda, and Hyundai.

Brown was assisting a camera operator for four hours... until the director called her to the set. They needed someone to turn on the car’s directional.

Brown hopped into the car, and flipped on the turn signal. Except - the windshield wipers came on instead.

They got it right on the second take, and Brown’s internship has covered much more than car commercials. Potratz allowed her to gain clientbased marketing experience. She decided that client marketing in a fast-paced ad agency is exactly where she belongs. Brown learned that she’s best under pressure. (Except when trying to find the directional in someone else’s car!)

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their internship?

“The most rewarding parts of the job were the times I’d get to interact directly with the animals, either hand-feeding or socializing with them. I was able to take responsibility for animals that can’t take care of themselves. Plus, it is definitely a unique bullet-point to put on a resume.”

MATTHEW SCHUNCK G’20: ROSE & KIERNAN, INC. Like any prospector, Matthew Schunck G’20 loves the thrill of mining. He uses a computer, not a pickaxe.

And he’s not technically searching for gold. But for his clients, the treasures Schunck uncovers can be just as valuable.

As an intern with a specialty in data mining, he developed detailed outlines on prospective clients’ business statistics. He then processes the data so that the producers at Rose & Kiernan could better serve clients, sometimes through cost-saving measures that are as good as gold.

In addition to data mining, Schunck organizes spreadsheets for clients, both established and prospective; he sits in on client renewal meetings and sales team meetings; he also goes on outings with his team and attends producer training sessions.

“I love talking with clients, but it’s not about selling them a product. I want to educate the client on the market and help them to discover the best next steps for their business.”

AMBER ALFONZO ’20, MAYA NICHOLAS ’20 & GABRIELLA FERRAO ’20: KPMG Accounting firm KPMG cut the ribbon on its $450 million learning, development, and innovation center in Orlando. Three interns from Siena were among the first to break it in.

Accounting majors Amber Alfonzo ’20, Maya Nicholas ’20, and Gabriella Ferrao ’20 (left to right, above) credit Beta Alpha Psi as well as Career Education and Professional Development for landing this opportunity. All three attended KPMG presentations, networked with company professionals, and earned their spot in the first class of interns to experience the Lakehouse. Their three-month internship involved day-long training sessions and nighttime fun — including an evening at Epcot.

All three Saints were audit interns during tax season, KPMG’s busy season. They worked with clients and also took on field work including inventory counts, testing internal controls, and substantive analytical procedures.

In preparation of tax season, there were nine-hour training days. Aside from acquiring knowledge and building career skills, they played games and engaged in ice breakers throughout the day.

“Training in Orlando has been the experience of a lifetime. I encourage all Siena students to take advantage of the career fairs and networking opportunities and the clubs offered at Siena,” said Ferrao.

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Former U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson ’86 Ph.D. was named the 12th President of Siena College at a gathering in Siena’s Sarazen Student Union with faculty, staff, and students.

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“Br. Ed was such an inspiration to all of us. His

A SCHOLARSHIP IN BR. ED’S IMAGE They both graduated from Bishop TimonSt. Jude High School in Buffalo, albeit a few decades apart. But the Franciscan tradition they each learned there had an impact on both

dedication to our lacrosse team was so appreciated. He was there for us not just in words but also in action.

Due to his heart for service and his joyful compassion for others, he has made a lifelong impact on my life and many students at Siena. His smile and soft hello as we walk through the campus is greatly missed. He was a generous and giving man who was an example for all,” said Watts.

Christian Watts ’22 and Br. Ed Coughlin, O.F.M., Ph.D., Siena’s 11th President.

Each year, the NYS Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) awards a one-time $1,000 scholarship to a member college. This year they chose Siena, in memory of the late Br. Ed. The Siena friars generously added another $1,000 to the CICU scholarship.

BUSINESS ALUMNI INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF SAINTS Jubilee Contreras ’20 CHRIS WALLACE ’98, chief communications officer with the LA Clippers, returned to speak on the impact Siena had on discovering the right path for him — focusing on building his network, developing his core values and the evolution of the LA Clippers brand.

When Wallace joined the organization, he was so inspired by Clippers players’ stories that they have consistently been the base of his content strategy. Check out any of the Clippers’ social platforms to see how Wallace and his team share the authentic, real stories of the players’ lives.

MARY HUMISTON ’87, executive director of Accenture’s Chief Human Resources Forum, talked to the Saints about the world of human resources and the opportunities she has had around the globe.

“It has been a great 33 years, but as I think about my career I have at least another 33 left to go. Career is just the productive energy you put forward in your life towards whatever matters to you.”

She has been all over the world, starting in Brussels. Knowing no one, Humiston made the brave decision to chase her passion at Honeywell. From those first days living in Brussels to years later giving Barack Obama a tour of her facility, Humiston has become a rockstar of the human resources field.

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MARCH SIENA STANDS WITH... HUMANITY

Over spring break, Siena students stood with underserved neighborhoods from Charlotte to Tucson to the indigenous community of Chontala, Guatemala.

On a week-long immersion trip sponsored by the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy, nine Siena students and two chaperones spent a week standing

a day weeding and helping the community members

with the women of Chontala, Guatemala who were

prepare their gardens for planting day, which was fast

widowed by the Guatemalan Civil War. They listened

approaching.

to stories, met with children, and visited several agricultural and sustainability community groups.

“There was so much strength, joy, perseverance, and resilience for us to celebrate from the Guatemalan community. I couldn’t be more thankful to immerse in

Saints partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build houses in five cities across North and South Carolina.

They framed the houses, put together roof trusses, planted trees, and painted the interior of the homes.

The Saints also visited Habitat ReStores,

such a beautiful country with such a rich culture and

independently owned stores operated by Habitat

history,” said Meg O’Neill ’21.

for Humanity that accept donations and sell home

Another group spent a week in Arizona, but also crossed the border into Mexico, to learn about

improvement items at a fraction of the retail price.

“I loved going on a Habitat trip because I got to try

immigration, up close. They came to understand

things I’ve never done before, like framing a house and

how immigrants, especially from Central American

constructing gables, while building relationships with

countries, are treated by American authorities,

Siena students I may never have met otherwise,” said

including ICE and border patrol. They also worked with

Abigail Sheridan ’23.

an organization called Flowers and Bullets, and spent

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MARCHING ON TO VICTORY:

SIENA MEN’S BASKETBALL CHARTS UNIQUE PATH TO CHAMPIONSHIP

As the six-time champions of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Siena Men’s Basketball knows what it’s like to reach the mountaintop - a league championship and a bid to the NCAA tournament. The Saints took home their first championship title in a decade during the 2019-20 season, but the path to greatness was not anything like the previous five.

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To say that the Saints’ 201920 season ended in anything but ordinary fashion may be inadequate. For the first time in over a century, a global pandemic put modern society on pause. For the 2020 MAAC Regular Season Champions, that meant putting a halt to a potential trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. To say that it put a damper on one of the most successful seasons in recent memory would be an understatement.

Led by first-year Head Coach Carmen Maciariello ’01, the Saints captured the regular-season championship for the first time since 2010, ending the year at 20-10 and on a 10-game winning streak. They entered the 2020 MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City, New Jersey as the number one seed and won their opening-round matchup.

On March 12, the sports world was stopped in its tracks due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The tournament ended almost as quickly as it began — cancelled, with collegiate spring seasons nationwide soon following.

The Saints made the fivehour trip down to Atlantic City as the number one seed in the tournament for the first time since 2010 and took care of business against Manhattan in the quarterfinal round. The following day, they went to the Jim Phalen Boardwalk Hall to cheer on the women’s team in their quarterfinal match and then departed for their shootaround. Back at the arena and around the country,

pandemonium broke out as

wasn’t anything that we could do

basketball conference tournaments

about it, but I think we were proud

began to abruptly cancel due to

of the way that we responded.”

COVID-19. By early afternoon,

Two weeks later on March 24,

the MAAC Men’s Basketball

Siena would officially be crowned

Tournament was officially over, just

MAAC Champions by virtue of

four games in.

having won the regular season

“We got the notification about

title. They were awarded the bid

the tournament being cancelled

to the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

while we were practicing, and we

The Saints had accomplished what

had been planning to have a team

they had set out for, but the surreal

dinner that night, so we still had

circumstances to get there made the

the opportunity to do that with

season one of the more unique ones

all of the players and our staff,”

in program history.

Maciariello said. “We had a chance

“It’s disappointing that we didn’t

to talk about what happened and

get to finish the quest, but a new

that we had nothing to hang our

year comes and a new challenge,”

heads about.”

Maciariello added. “We’ll remember

“It was tough and we were all in

this year and learn lessons from it

shock,” Manny Camper ’21 said.

and take the same approach into the

“It was out of our control and there

2020-21 season.”

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TURNING P

INT

“Because the situation regarding the coronavirus and other

for the College. Classes were suspended for five days,

illnesses is evolving daily, before you leave campus for spring

but faculty were working around the clock. All

break, we ask that you take any books, medications or other

courses needed to be converted to remote instruction.

material you may need in case we need to develop alternative

It was months’ worth of work that had to be

plans for class delivery…”

done in one week’s time.

The College’s Instruction Technology Specialists held

Interim President Dr. Margaret Madden presciently included the above line in an email to the campus

over 30 training sessions with faculty. There is no

community a week before spring recess. It was March 1.

substitute for Siena’s Franciscan-centered, in-person

Life on campus was so far unchanged, but students

delivery of a Liberal Arts education. But undaunted by

participating in a study abroad program in Italy had just

unprecedented challenges, the College conducted the

been called home. There were still no confirmed

second half of the spring semester remotely. One week

cases of the virus within hundreds of miles of

into distance learning, Dr. Madden described the new

Loudonville, but a storm was clearly developing on the

reality in a letter to the community on March 27. It

horizon. The College, and the country, began bracing

began…

“It was a truly extraordinary week. Despite our fears

for it.

and doubts, we learned, taught, and provided services in a

On March 11, midway through spring recess, Dr. Madden announced a week-long extension. Siena’s

new modality with relatively few problems – kudos to all.

Emergency Operations Team was monitoring the

We validated what we already knew; Siena is a learning

spread of the virus and developing contingency plans

community.”

PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS BY MAIL

Just because campus labs were closed, didn’t mean

hands-on examination into the natural laws of the universe stopped.

The default approach to teaching general physics from a distance involved videos of faculty performing traditional experiments. Those videos, and the matching data, would be made available for the students to watch and analyze.

The lesson is identical to the in-class instruction, but students lose the hands-on experience. Matt Bellis, Ph.D., associate professor of physics, figured the only solution would be to transport the physics lab into students’ homes.

So that’s exactly what he did.

Bellis created lab kits for two experiments and sent recorded videos of himself performing each to the Saints.

“The virtual labs have given me a fun way to learn more about the topics I’ve studied in physics class but from home. For the labs, we don’t have accurate timing devices and other technology that you would find in a typical physics classroom, so they are much more of a challenge and push you to think like ancient physicists who did not have the technology we have today,” said Noah Franz ’22.

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VIRTUAL CHOIR, TECHNICAL MASTERPIECE When the annual Spring Cabaret was cancelled, Siena’s creative arts team immediately pivoted from their initial disappointment to enthusiasm for a new challenge.

Instead of mourning the loss of the annual performing arts showcase, theater technical manager Michael Lounello ’19 masterminded the production

of “I Love You/ What a Wonderful World.” The video featured Timothy Reno, D.M.A., associate dean of liberal arts, with 35 choral students and alumni singing individually from their homes but brought together as a virtual choir to uplift the Siena community.

Lounello painstakingly synced up the video and audio tracks of each recorded voice, then eliminated an assortment of reverberations and echoes so the song sounds as though it originated from one location.

CULTURE THROUGH CUISINE (FROM HOME)

Marcela Garcés, Ph.D., associate professor of Spanish, taught “Culture Through

Cuisine: Exploring the Basque Region in Northern Spain,” this semester. She and her 10 students were set to head to Basque Country on May 18, to immerse themselves for several days in the land, language and food they had been studying.

When the pandemic shutdown derailed those plans, Garcés decided to assign an “un-paper,” where the class would cook or bake Basque recipes from scratch in their home kitchens, try their hand at food photography, and post about it (en español, por supuesto) online.

Drew Califano ’22 baked torrijas, a dish commonly eaten in Spain during the Easter season and consisting primarily of bread, cinnamon, sugar, and milk.

“I believe that this activity has provided me with a new perspective on cooking, demonstrating that creating artful and appetizing cuisine entails more effort than one may initially think.”

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q

APRIL

SAINTS ON THE FRONT LINES

For months, nurses have been frontline heroes in the fight against COVID-19. Siena nurses risked their lives to save lives.

Here are some of their stories from this past spring:

SAM DEPASQUALE RN, ‘17 - New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York “Every night at 7:00 p.m. the great city of New York is in an uproar. Cheering, the banging of pots and pans...for a city that is known for its diversity, I’ve never seen so many people come together this way. If I’m outside to hear it, I cry every time. The firefighters and police officers are making us feel like heroes, too. We’re all in this together, and I’m not just talking about the first responders; I’m talking about the human race as a whole.”

TAYLOR FADROWSKI RN, MSN ‘17 - The Maryland Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore “I’ve been trained on how to put on, take off, and clean PPE whereas I would never have to do this before. There’s a need for nurses to safely and properly transport COVID+ and PUIs (persons under investigation) for COVID-19 throughout the hospital for testing, admission to inpatient, or getting upgraded to a higher level of care.”

CARINA POSSUMATO RN, ‘19 - St. Peter’s Hospital ICU, Albany “Having learned and resonated with a calm and caring approach taught by being a part of Siena’s program, I have been able to teach these nervous floor nurses what they need to do to keep a patient alive, while being able to provide the best possible care with a positive outlook to these scared and vulnerable patients.”

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Being part of the at-risk population during a national pandemic can be hard emotionally as well as physically. Three Saints are stepping up in different ways to lend a helping hand to those in need.

To help make her patients’ hospital stays less stressful, MEREDITH RUTSKY ’20 assembled Happy Packs at Ellis Medicine in Schenectady where she is a registered nurse. The brightly decorated gift bags are stuffed with items to help keep patients’ minds occupied while showing them that hospital staff care about their whole well-being.

“This is a really difficult time for people who are in the hospital, even though we haven’t been hit as hard as some hospitals downstate,” said Rutsky. “They can’t have visitors, and even though we set up FaceTime visits and phone calls, it’s not the same.”

The Baldwin Nursing Program at Siena donated $5,000 to help stock the Happy Packs going forward.

SCOTTY PARILLO ’21 saw that going to the supermarket was a major health risk for seniors and at-risk populations. So he launched his own business: clients send him a grocery list and payment; he handles the rest.

Parillo has no plans to turn a profit: his $15 percustomer fee is donated to the Front Line Appreciation Group of Saratoga Springs, a group providing meals and other support for essential workers.

MARYANNE EGAN ’86, PH.D., professor of computer science at Siena, brought out her craft supplies to keep busy during the quarantine. Egan crocheted and knitted lap blankets and baby blankets to donate to local charities.

“I thought that it would be great to give them to foster kids so they have something they can bring with them wherever they are. I know my kids and grandkids were and are very attached to their blankets and it would be nice to provide that to other kids.”

She also broke out her sewing machine and made more than 40 masks. She said the hardest job was trying to make one to fit over her sister’s N95 mask for her work as a physician at Saratoga Hospital.

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IN CRISIS, HE’S AMERICA’S DOCTOR

One of the most familiar faces in the

news these days is also a recipient of an honorary degree from Siena.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a physician and immunologist who has served under six U.S. presidents as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was granted an honorary doctor of humane letters from Siena at Commencement in 2011, “in recognition of his lifetime of noble service as a physician, medical researcher, and public official.”

Siena’s connection with Dr. Fauci came through former Trustee David M. Stack ’73, CEO and chairman of New Jersey-based Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

FROM THE FIELD TO THE HOMEFRONT Born in Zimbabwe and raised in England,

Eddie Dakwa ’20 didn’t begin playing soccer until he was 11 years old, but quickly blossomed into a professional prospect. The speedy defender found his way to the States to get a college education — joining the Saints in 2018.

Two Thanksgivings ago, teammate Greg Monroe ’22 invited a few of the international players to his home in Clifton Park. Dakwa then spent time with the Monroes again over spring break, then Easter, and then traveled with the family on summer vacations.

In England, Dakwa’s mom works as a mental health nurse and became sick due to treating COVID-19 patients.

He determined that it was not the best decision to travel home. Plus, he has a job lined up as a soccer coach at Springhill College in Mobile, Alabama. Because of

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The Monroes have an extra bedroom in the house... it’s now Dakwa’s room.

“I feel like their adopted son. We cook, we watch

international travel restrictions, if he made it home -

movies together, we hang out and go in the hot tub. I’m

would he be able to make it back to start his new job?

so grateful, and I’m having so much fun!” said Dakwa.

New Normal, New Hobbies

When the country is on lockdown to prevent the spread of a virus, streaming Hulu and stress eating can get old pretty quickly. Most people enjoy getting dressed up to go out, the Furlongs got dressed up to stay in. EMILY FURLONG ’21 needed a break from the nightly repetition. All it took was a costume change.

“I created a Spirit Week for my family. My favorite

— STACEY DEARING PH.D., teaching assistant professor of English “I found an app called Drops that allows you to learn

was Formal Night because we really went all out for that

five minutes of a language for free each day. I love

one. We had a candlelit dinner and dressed up like we

going through the lessons because it grounds the weird

were really going to a fancy event. The days go by fast

schedule we are all on. I am making progress learning

with something fun to look forward to every night!”

Japanese (a country I’ve always wanted to visit). I

Other Siena students, faculty and staff revisited hobbies past – or took current hobbies to a new level: “I taught myself how to crochet blankets a couple of years ago from watching YouTube tutorials in my spare

hope after the quarantine ends to find classes in my community to continue learn Japanese with others.” — ANDREW STACK ’20 “I’ve been fostering kittens and readying them for

time. I wanted to challenge my skills and learn how to

adoption. It’s something I have wanted to do for a

do more detailed crochet doilies and tablecloths, and it

while and being home all day every day gave me the

has been a good stress reliever so far. I always feel my

impetus. I also have a high school senior and a college-

best when I am creating, and it is cool to see what we

aged junior at home, grieving the loss of their spring

are all capable of making!” — CLARE NEE ’20

semester, and so we had lots of hands on deck - also a

“I’ve been cross stitching for a few years, but in the last few months I’ve learned how to do more elaborate

lot of joy.” — JENNIFER DORSEY, PH.D., professor of history “During quarantine I have spent a lot of time out

backgrounds and accessories, including playground

on the lake next to my house, but when I’m not on

equipment. I’ve been designing portraits for family

the water I am working on becoming a certified yoga

and friends, including one featuring my 8-year-old

teacher! I started the online class just a few weeks ago

niece’s blue hair that her parents let her dye since

and plan to be certified by the fall.” — KELSEY BARON ’21

they’re doing home school as a result of the pandemic.”

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SIENA LACROSSE PLAYERS STEP UP

KAITLYN LEMBO ’20, ANTHONY TEBBANO ’21, and MEGAN POWER

’20 were not supposed to have free time in the spring.

Lacrosse practices and games and workouts generally fill the time between classes and studying and sleep.

But when the lacrosse season prematurely ended, their schedules unexpectedly opened up.

With Kaitlyn Lembo ’20 earning a degree in health sciences and Anthony Tebbano ’21 in the field of biology, both already worked as medical technicians at Loudonville Assisted Living Residence.

Both sensed the importance of answering the call in a time of need within the medical field. The pair greatly increased their hours once their seasons were canceled, with Anthony moving from one shift to three and

Lembo taking on a full-time schedule.

In addition to normal tasks such as administering medicine, the Saints have been charged with keeping a watchful eye on the health of residents and most importantly, making sure that residents’ spirits are kept up during a time when visitors are not allowed in. That part of the job has included everything from spending time with residents to facilitating a game of bingo where the participants played from their rooms.

“I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to be working — and not just working, but working in healthcare because it’s such an important job, especially right now. I feel honored to have the opportunity to be helping people,”said Tebbano ’21.

Megan Power ’20 needed a new outlet and purpose — and it had to be something she could do from her kitchen table. That’s when her mom pulled an old sewing machine out of the closet.

At first, it was only supposed to be a hobby, a way to pass her extra hours in the day. But Power, who plans to become a nurse practitioner, happened to see a “how to” video on YouTube for making masks. Her burgeoning sewing skills were up to the task, and so the defender who was used to preventing goals, developed

equipment shortage in my community, I wanted to keep

a new one.

healing in the little way that I could. I will be beginning

She enlisted the help of her younger sister Grace,

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graduate school to become a nurse practitioner soon,

who will play lacrosse for Siena next year, and they

so I feel a strong sense of empathy for the healthcare

started sewing masks to donate to New Jersey hospitals.

professionals who are on the front lines during the

“When I learned of the extent of the personal protective

COVID-19 pandemic,” said Power.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE The ‘You are Not Alone’ series was created by the College’s Mission Office to keep normalcy for our Siena community during an abnormal time. Each day from March 20-May 16, Siena students, faculty, staff, and administrators shared words of wisdom with the community through selfie-style video messages.

“We must know that we’re not alone, we’re not abandoned at this time... Whatever you’re going through right now — know that Christ is with you... Reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while, to let them know you are thinking of them, and praying for them.” FR. LARRY ANDERSON, O.F.M. “What I want to remind you is that we will move forward together... Whatever emotion you’re feeling right now is 100 percent valid… We are all in this together.” RUCHIKA NAYYAR ’20

SIENA “FUELING STATION” EMPTIED TO SUPPORT MEDICAL STAFF It’s known in the ARC as the “fueling station” - a reservoir of Gatorade and granola bars, all sorts of healthy options, provided

by Whole Foods, to refuel the student athletes. Unfortunately, this spring there were no student athletes on campus to fuel.

It was Head Athletic Trainer Greg Dashnaw’s idea to reach out to Albany Medical Center (AMC).

The hospital is able to provide meals for the doctors and nurses working brutal shifts to care for an influx of patients. But for most of the front-line healthcare professionals, there’s rarely a time to sit down and eat. What they need are grab and go options from a depleted snack room - Siena filled it up. On April 16, a team of Saints loaded up five car loads of snacks and delivered the cargo to AMC. The Siena crew included Dashnaw; Brian McElroy, assistant athletic trainer; John D’Argenio, vice president and director of athletics; Mike Demos, assistant athletic director for communications; and Sergio Sericolo, art director. “What an awesome donation! Holy Cow! Five car/truck loads of great products. We forward this generosity to so many different departments in the medical center!” said Rob Saba, AMC director of development.

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PRETTY

RUGGED

GIFT LOCAL BLANKET MAKERS SHARE WARMTH WITH CLASS OF 2020

Tracy Slocum and Sheila Mendleson have both felt a special connection with the Siena community for as long as they can remember. Both of their fathers and Mendleson’s daughter-

hundred blankets will be distributed as part of a generous donation.

“We’re both moms, and we were saddened to think that the

in-law are alumni, giving them a permanent bond to the

kids who had worked so hard were deprived of something that

Green and Gold.

they earned,” Slocum said.

When it became clear that the pandemic would keep Siena’s

Founded in 2017 out of Slocum’s desire to have an outdoor

Class of 2020 from holding a May Commencement, they wanted

blanket that was both “beautiful and functional,” Pretty

to help ease the pain the Saints were feeling.

Rugged’s products can now be found in over 200 retailers

As the founder & president and executive vice president

nationwide. The company’s award-winning blankets have

of Pretty Rugged, Slocum and Mendleson have provided the

garnered national media attention on Good Morning America

graduates with warmth and security for their future endeavors.

and The Talk, among other outlets. The Pretty Rugged Luxe Pet

Each will be receiving one of Pretty Rugged’s Faux Fur Lap

Blanket was included as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things in the

Blankets, complete with a Siena monogram on the corner. Eight

December 2018 edition of her magazine.

One side of the blanket features premiere faux fur, while the

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other is lined with waterproof and windproof material. The blanket is machine washable and comes in a waterproof tote for carrying and storing.

“We wanted them to take something with them that reminded them that the Siena community cares and we’re with them.”

HELPING TO PROVIDE HOSPITALITY TO HEROES During a time when healthcare professionals have been faced with innumerable challenges, the “Heroes Landing” has provided a place for essential workers to rejuvenate and refresh.

The temporary hospitality setup at the Hilton Garden inn in downtown Albany allows medical staff to stay close to work to recharge in-between long and challenging shifts.

“My husband is a thirdgeneration clothing manufacturer and inspired me to make the blankets after I found myself wanting something that was both beautiful and functional to use on our boat in Lake George and at my children’s sporting events,” Slocum recalled.

“We consider ourselves to be risk-takers and entrepreneurs at heart,” Mendleson said. “Tracy and I complement each other well – she thinks numbers wise while I’m more eager to get a good idea off the ground. We balance each other out and encourage that entrepreneurial spirit within each other.”

They hope their donation will inspire others to give back to those affected by the circumstances brought on by

Steve Obermayer ’83 has built a career out of making sure that others are safe and secure. As the chief financial officer at BBL, he has aided the multidimensional company in providing construction services, building commercial facilities, delivering hospitality services and more to workplaces located in the Capital Region and beyond.

Alongside the Capital Region’s own SEFCU, CDPHP, St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation and MVP Healthcare, BBL stepped in to help provide for Albany’s front-line workers in a way that they have mastered through their everyday functions.

Carrie Hillenbrandt ’94, BBL’s senior vice president of hospitality, expressed the company’s desire to fill a need in the local community.

“We were approached by Michael Castellano from SEFCU with the initial idea and began brainstorming about how we could best use the building to help the medical professionals on the front lines. We were hearing stories around the state of doctors and nurses who were sleeping in their cars and afraid to go home and potentially infect their loved ones with the virus that they were working with.”

Those coming to stay are given a voucher that is redeemable for essentials like shampoo, soap, a toothbrush and a meal. The rooms were re-designed to eliminate unnecessary features like room keys and excessive furniture.

Their generosity reflects the core values of being a Saint and giving back to the community in a time of need.

“One of the biggest values that you pick up at Siena centers around your role in the community and your contribution to making it a better place for everybody,” Hillenbrandt added. “This was a perfect way to accomplish that, and we were able to make an impact.”

the pandemic at Siena and other local communities.

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NOBEL’S PRIZE

Das Nobel ’06 is leading the predictive modeling movement Predictive modeling. That’s the cutting-edge genius to his work.

that lottery, then nearly had to leave their two older children,

AI,) an artificial intelligence platform that uses advanced machine

including Das, behind. Somehow, they managed to relocate, as a

learning to peek, with extraordinary accuracy, into the future.

family, to Albany. Nobel’s mother worked in a pizzeria, his father

This is also the irony of Nobel’s life. His groundbreaking predictive

cleaned dishes at a restaurant, and Nobel practiced his English

modeling never could have predicted his own remarkable path.

as a freshman at Albany High School. Today, he wants to create

Nobel’s company presently supports 17 states in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic – predicting the threat of a second wave and thereby informing potentially life-saving policy

opportunities similar to those afforded to him as a young man by building schools – lots of them. Hospitals, too.

Nobel’s father wanted his son to be a surgeon. He’s not

decisions. The health care industry leverages Maverick AI to

impressed, really, with artificial intelligence or the $295 million

identify risk factors that may have been missed by physicians. In

contract that MTX recently acquired in Texas to manage the

professional sports, general managers will apply Maverick AI to

state’s contact tracing efforts. In Bangladesh, Nobel’s father was

predict the long-term value of trades and free agent acquisitions.

a school teacher and then a principal, before he was a dishwasher

Maverick AI is a crystal ball, and its applications are limitless.

in Albany. He is impressed by the power of education – and his

There were only limits, it would have seemed, in Nobel’s past.

son’s desire to spread it. Nobel wants to build 100 schools in the

About 12 families lived in his small, impoverished community

world – the first already has students in Mexico. Nobel also wants

in Bangladesh, a South Asian country that shares its western

to build 15 hospitals, perhaps in collaboration with the United

border with India. Making an unthinkable situation worse, they

Nations.

used a community toilet located on the other side of the village.

“I have a vision to do what nobody thinks is possible,” Nobel

There was often a line. Mud floors provided the foundation to their

said. “That’s what ignites me. I’m motivated to give as much as I

homes. The pond water that cleaned their cows also served as

can back to society.”

their drinking water.

Steve Jobs often talked about putting a dent in the universe.

Nobel was accepted to Siena out of Albany High School – then nearly accidentally lost his spot. Unfamiliar with the college

It’s a quote Nobel applies to his own ambition. But people from

search process, and without guidance, Nobel missed the deadline.

his village don’t get a chance to change the world. Nobel wouldn’t

He begged Admissions to let him in.

have either. But his mother won the immigration lottery.

Millions of people apply for the Diversity Immigrant Visa each year, but fewer than one percent are selected and approved

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through the lottery process. In 1996, the Nobel family hit

Das Nobel ‘06 and his company, MTX Group, developed (Maverick

“I was the happiest kid in town when Siena made an exception for me,” he said.

Nobel loved the Standish Library – maybe too much. More

PROVIDING A PATH IN THE MIDST OF UNCERTAINTY As the owner and catalyst behind one of the fastest growing companies of the past decade, Antonio Civitella ’91 has become accustomed to leading by example and being vocal and transparent with his employees. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the company was preparing to display years of hard work and research in the form of its new Routefinder PLUS software.

“We had always planned to release our new product during the first Monday of the second quarter, and it went

than once he fell asleep on a library sofa and missed class. He

great,” Siena’s 2014

was shy at first, but then connected with the Asian Student

Entrepreneur of the

Association, then faculty.

Year said. “Our clients

“My advisor and professors were amazing. I was able

want this product

to thrive in that intimate environment,” Nobel said. “Most important, I participated in faculty led research on genome sequencing.”

At Siena, Nobel drifted from medicine to artificial intelligence. Several years later, he founded MTX – now a pioneer in machine learning platforms.

Several years before, on a class field trip in high school, Nobel was asked how much money he planned to make in his first job. He said $60,000. They laughed at him. “They” also laughed at Elon Musk when he announced his intentions to build a private company that would put people in space.

Nobel talks about Musk, and Jobs, and Bill Gates. He reads books about fellow visionaries and highlights sections to share with his employees. Nobel likes it when people laugh at the audacious. When they laugh at him it’s a catalyst to upend expectations.

Of course, it is laughable to think that a person from a village in Bangladesh – where you walk an hour to school, where you don’t celebrate birthdays, where you can’t afford lunch – could put a dent in the universe. But that’s what he’s

because it helps them comply with CDC guidelines on social distancing and other new protocols that will be put into place.”

Despite the nationwide closing of Transfinder’s biggest clients, school districts, and the rapid shift in the global economy, the software immediately found popularity in helping transportation adjust to a new reality. The software was a huge hit in a landscape controlled by the confines of the coronavirus, allowing transportation officials to access the software remotely online. The software’s latest features have also provided assurance to school districts that they will be able to adapt to the changes that will be implemented as a result of the pandemic.

“A lot of our clients have started to run a lot of whatif analysis for when schools open back up, and our software that we’ve been working on for the past four years does a great job with it. Kids going back to school is a huge part of re-opening the economy.”

doing. That’s what Maverick AI was designed to do.

“Dreaming big gives you a purpose in life,” Nobel said.

Not even Maverick AI can predict what Nobel will do next. Or can it? But he, and the Siena community, know that the future is built by those who dare to turn their dreams into reality.

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MAY

VIRTUAL CELEBRATION WITH THE CLASS OF 2020 WATCHING FROM HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES, SIENA COLLEGE LEADERS AND FRIARS MET ON CAMPUS FOR A FACEBOOK-STREAMED CEREMONY TO HONOR NEWLY-MINTED GRADUATES.

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KAYLA ALLBRIGH T GERMAN JIMEN EZ

JAKE KINNEY

“In this time of pandemic and social distance, we have much to grieve in our world, and yet today we have much to give thanks for in the gifts and talents of the class of 2020.

Good and gracious God, we invoke your Holy Spirit upon our graduates this morning, for we know you are with us in every moment of transition and change.”

“Today is no traditional graduation day by any means,” said Charles Seifert, Ph.D., interim vice president for academic affairs. “While we must delay our in-person celebration until it is safe to gather, we are still united in spirit and joined from

REBECCA GOLD

STEIN

locations across the globe to honor you and your many accomplishments that brought us to this day.”

Seniors Jensen McLenithan ‘20 and Gabrielle VanDeWater ‘20 celebrate on May 17th in the McLenithan family’s driveway.

Margaret E. Madden, Ph.D., interim president, virtually bestowed 757 bachelor’s degrees and 61 master’s degrees on the graduates.

“You will always be remembered as a special class for your commendable resilience in the face of

As the bells from Siena Hall rang out at 10AM on May 17, Fr. Mark Reamer ’83, O.F.M., D.Min., vice president

extraordinary challenges.”

All of Siena’s friars in residence sang “The

for mission and guardian of the Siena friary, opened the

Blessing of Saint Francis” for the new graduates to

ceremony with a blessing:

conclude the celebration.

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YOU’RE HIRED! Every year, Siena graduates go out into the world ready to make a great living and live a great life — now it’s time for the Class of 2020. We want to highlight members who are landing jobs in their chosen field, despite turbulence in the job market.

ALYSSA LEWIS ’20 converted to Roman Catholicism as a senior in

her Siena experience, inspired her calling to teach religious education. She connected with Holly Grieco, Ph.D., associate professor of religious studies, during her sophomore year and enrolled in “History of Franciscan Tradition.” That semester put Lewis on her path.

Lewis would later research

high school, an experience that

Siena’s purchase of a Heritage

inspired her calling.

Edition of the Saint John’s Bible,

Lewis has been accepted to the

ALYSSA LEWIS

during her junior year, she made

prestigious Alliance of Catholic

the Way of St. Francis Pilgrimage

Educators (ACE) program at the

to Italy, which further cemented

University of Notre Dame. She

her path toward Catholic

will spend the next two years

education.

SYDNEY GEDDES

balancing summer postgraduate work and teaching third grade during the academic year at Guardian Angels School in Denver, Colorado.

Lewis’ faith, matched with 34

The CEO remembered SYDNEY

GEDDES ’20 name. Now that

financial planning company, with headquarters in the Capital Region,

might not seem like a big deal,

also boasts one of the largest

but consider this: Ayco has

internship programs in the Albany

more than 1,000 employees. The

area. So, when she walked up to

MATHEW HARRISON (SECOND FROM RIGHT)

the CEO at the company Christmas

radio astronomy research at the

party last year and he knew her

world’s largest steerable radio

name?! Yes, that was a very big

telescope. Turns out, it was also

deal.

a reconnaissance mission for a

During her internship, Sydney was tasked with giving a presentation to the executive

job became available.

As a freshman, Harrison was introduced to the Undergraduate

wracking, But the results were

ALFALFA Team (UAT). A small

beyond impressive. Not only did

group of Saints, including Harrison

Sydney get the boss’s attention,

and led by Rose Finn, Ph.D.,

but she landed a full-time job

professor of physics, participated

that was waiting for her after

in a week-long workshop at the

graduation.

observatory and researched a project that led to a presentation

at first, I was grateful for the

at the American Astronomical

opportunity to present to such

Society.

an important group at Ayco.

Recently, he stumbled across

Thankfully, the presentation

a job listing at the Green Bank

went so well, my group was asked

Observatory. His proficiency for

to go to Saratoga to film the

signal processing and software

presentation. When it was put

engineering and his evident

online, I was complimented by

passion for all things radio

Ayco employees from all over the

astronomy, coupled with his

country!”

experience at the observatory,

MATTHEW HARRISON ’20

made him perfect for the job.

“Siena gave me a breadth of

made his first trip to the Green

experience through my work

Bank Observatory in West

in physics, computer science,

Virginia as a freshman and novice

computer engineering, and

astronomer; he’ll be returning as a

software engineering, and this

software engineer.

unique combination of skills was

When Harrison joined a team from Siena at the West Virginia

AR

future job... three years before the

board. It was beyond nerve-

“Even though it scared me

MASIEL LOPEZ ALMANZ

the ideal preparation for the job.”

observatory three years ago,

MASIEL LOPEZ ALMANZAR ’20,

it was a special opportunity

was this year’s recipient of

for undergraduates to conduct

The Lonnstrom HEOP (Higher

Education Opportunity Program) Excellence Award.

The annual award was established in 2014 by Douglas Lonnstrom ’66, Ph.D., a Siena professor of quantitative business analysis, and his wife, Cris, to support HEOP students in pursuing their careers and goals after graduation.

While at Siena, Almanzar was a tutor at the Writing Center and a member of the Black and Latin Student Union. She also volunteered with AmericaCorps on a research project on homelessness in Albany — gathering data so the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless and St. Joseph’s House could better serve their clients.

She will spend time training for Teach for America before teaching English as a Second Language at an elementary school in Baltimore.

“Jen Costello and Emily Ha from Siena’s HEOP office helped me to achieve my goals, both academic and personal. Emily encouraged me to apply for Teach for America – something I wasn’t sure I could do. Everything I worked for is coming to life.”

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Siena College’s new president, Christopher P. Gibson, Ph.D., who graduated from Siena in 1986 with a B.A. in history, shares his thoughts on the importance of advancing the legacy of service and support: “Siena played an instrumental role in shaping my values and ideals, and I am forever indebted to the faculty and staff, including the many friars who have been so influential in my life. The Franciscan tradition sets Siena apart, and it will inform every decision as I work with the Siena community to advance the legacy of my predecessors and promote the mission of Siena College.”

Your support of Siena creates your legacy as it helps the College shape the values and ideals for generations of future Siena Saints. Advance the legacy by remembering Siena in your will, making Siena a beneficiary of your IRA, or by creating a life income gift.

If you’ve included Siena in your philanthropic plans or intend to do so, please let us know so we can welcome you to the St. Francis Society. The Society honors those who have chosen to extend their legacies while furthering the work of Siena College by including the College in a legacy gift.

To discuss creating your legacy at Siena College, please contact Bradley W. Bodmer ’82, Esq., Asst. Vice President at plannedgiving@siena.edu or 518-783-2432.

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q

Recurring Gifts make it easy to support the Education for a Lifetime!

Monthly or quarterly recurring gifts allow you to divide your Siena Annual Fund gift into manageable increments through convenient automatic deductions. By becoming a member of the Recurring Giving Program, you can increase your giving impact at Siena and provide the College with a critically important, reliable source of support for our Saints!

MONTHLY COMMITMENT

TOTAL ANNUAL GIFT

$5.00 $60 $8.34 $100 $10.00 $120 $25.00 $300 $41.67 $500 $50.00 $600 $83.34 $1,000 $125.00 $1,500 $208.34 $2,500

SIMPLE. Your gift is divided into manageable increments and you choose your monthly gift amount.

CONVENIENT. Your gift is tax-deductible and you will receive a summary of your total annual gift.

IMPORTANT. Smaller installments, made more often, add up to a meaningful gift. Dividing your gift monthly or quarterly may also allow you to make a President’s Circle leadership gift at the $1,500 level.

SECURE. Your automatic payment information is safe and secure, and you can make a change to your gift, at any time by contacting the Siena Annual Fund.

After all, the world needs more Saints!

TO ENROLL, visit www.siena.edu/makeagift choose “Recurring Gift” or call 518-783-2461 or email annualfund@siena.edu - Please note that Siena’s fiscal year runs June 1 – May 30.

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FACULTY

LISA LALLY FLACK, D.N.S., (lower right) director of nursing • Co-authored with DONNEAN THRALL, D.N.S., (above right) assistant professor of nursing, and JENNA THATE, PH.D., assistant professor of nursing, “Creating a Caring Science Curriculum: The Siena Experience,” Creating a Caring Science Curriculum, Springer. • Authored the book chapter, “Leading with Caritas Consciousness.” Creating a Caring Science Curriculum, Springer. • Admitted into the Caritas Coach Education Program® (CCEP) to begin in March 2021.

MATT BELLIS, PH.D., associate professor of physics • Presented

visiting assistant professor of

“CERN Open Data Portal for Science

digital arts • Work was chosen by

and Education,” at the April virtual

curator Efrem Zelony-Mindell

American Physical Society meeting.

for Primal Sight, Gnomic Book

• Received a travel grant from the

Publication.

Fermilab LHC Physics Center’s

BEVERLY THOMPSON, PH.D.,

Guests and Visitors program to

(2021). Exploring millennials who work remotely via laptops and use their freedom to travel the world and invert the work/leisure division. • Published, “AcademInk: University Faculty Fashion and Its Discontents,” Taylor & Francis

associate professor of sociology

journal, Fashion Theory. • Authored

run a workshop on accessing and

• Signed a book contract with

chapter, “Digital nomadism:

analyzing open data from the CMS

Emerald Publishing (UK) for

Mobility, millennials, and the future

experiment at the LHC.

Digital Nomads Living on

of work in the online gig economy,”

the Margins: Remote Laptop

The Future of Creative Work, UK:

Entrepreneurs in the Gig Economy

Edward Elgar Publishing.

support a visit to Fermilab to

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GERMAINE GATEWOOD, M.F.A.,

JENNA THATE, PH.D., assistant professor of nursing •Interviewed for “Information overload and unsustainable workloads in the era of electronic health records,” The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, January 2020. •Received the Research Recognition Award for 2020 from the Tau Kappa At Large (TKAL) chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society. This award signifies excellence in conducting and communication distinguished research in nursing.

DIRK DE JONG, PH.D., associate professor of social work • Published “Conservative Christianity, Gender identity, and Religious Liberty -- a Primer and a Proposal,” Palgrave/Macmillan, April 2020.

• Co-presented “The Case for Teaching ‘Social Policy Without Borders’,” Digital Global Well-Being and Social Change Conference, Millersville University, Pennsylvania, April 2020.

LEONARD CUTLER, PH.D., professor of political science Completed his 50th year at Siena College.

• Sponsoring Summer Legal Fellows remotely for 11 pre-law students working at Albany Law School’s Government Law Center, Western New England University Law School’s Center for Social Justice and Touro Law School.

Working with CURCA Summer Scholar. Nick Discala, on a research project, “Clash of Congress and Trump on National Security Policy.”

Expected to present findings at the November Northeast Political Science Association Meeting in Boston. Also will be included as a chapter in Cutler’s book on Trump’s National Security Policy, which will

VERA ECCARIUS-KELLY, PH.D., professor of political science • Published the book chapter “Cleansing the Galleries: A Museum in the Imagination of Kurdish Diaspora Artists and Activists,” in the collection, Kurdish Art and Identity, Berlin: DeGruyter, 2020.

• Managing a team of 12 undergraduate and graduate research students in collaboration with the West Hill Refugee Welcome Center in Albany. Carrying out research projects related to the creation of Community Based Refugee Exhibits in Albany in 2021 (curated by Syrian, Hazara Afghan, Kurdish, Congolese and Banyamulenge community members). The Refugee Voice student team is part of the Siena

College Project Incubator program (SPIn), a partnership between local nonprofits, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), and the Center for Academic Community Engagement at Siena College (ACE). The team is fully funded through AmeriCorps.

DANIEL LEWIS, PH.D., associate professor of political science • Honored with the 2020 Raymond Kennedy Award for Excellence in Scholarship, becoming the third current member of the Political Science & International Relations to win the award. • Published three peer-reviewed articles this year with his colleagues working on the Public Opinion Toward Transgender Rights Project: “Public Attitudes about Transgender Participation in Sports: The Roles of Gender, Gender Identity Conformity, and Sports Fandom,” Sex Roles, January 2020; “The Politics of Being “Cait”: Caitlyn Jenner, Transphobia, and Parasocial Contact Effects on Transgender-Related Political Attitudes,” American Politics Research, March 2020; “Year of the LGBT Candidate? LGBT State Legislative Candidates in the Trump Era,” PS: Political Science & Politics, July 2020.

• Working with CURCA Summer Scholar, Devon Sweatt ’22, on a

be completed for publication in 2021.

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ELISA MARTIN, PH.D., associate professor of social work • Published “Yarning for Change,” International Association for Social Work with Groups, New York, June 2020.• Co-authored “Protecting others from ourselves: The importance of self-care in social work education,” Baccalaureate Program Directors (BPD), Birmingham, Alabama, March 2020.

research project exploring the

GRAZIANO VERNIZZI, PH.D.,

and other planar orthogonal

effects of direct democracy on the

professor of physics • Published

polynomials on an ellipse

state public agenda in the U.S.

“Multicanonical Monte Carlo

in the complex plane,”

Initial findings will be presented at

ensemble growth algorithm,”

accepted for publication in the

the 2021 Southern Political Science

Physical Review E, February 2020.

international journal Constructive

Association Conference in New

Had his paper “Gegenbauer

Approximation, Springer.

Orleans in January.

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SCOTT NELSON FOSTER, M.F.A.,

NECIP DOGANAKSOY, PH.D., associate professor in accounting

associate professor of creative arts-

• A 2020 Shewhart Medalist of the American Society for Quality (ASQ). Was awarded

•Work depicting Idaho drive-ins

for statistical leadership in advancing and advocating for proactive quality and reli-

and motels was purchased by the

ability assurance through high-impact applications, research, publications for prac-

Department of Art & History of the

titioners, training, and service to the profession. • Authored, “A Simplified Formula-

city of Boise, Idaho. An exhibition

tion of Likelihood Ratio Confidence Intervals Using a Novel Property,” Technometrics.

of the work has been rescheduled

•Co-Authored, “Statistical Intervals, not Statistical Significance,” The Best

for Spring 2021.

Writing on Mathematics, Princeton University Press, 2020.

2019-2020 AWARDS DANIEL LEWIS, PH.D.,

REBECCA TAYLOR, J.D., Associate Professor of

Associate Professor of

Creative Arts

Political Science

The Jerome Walton

The Raymond Kennedy

Excellence in Teaching

Excellence in Scholarship Award

Award

DONNA MCINTOSH, M.S.W.,

ALLISON TURCIO ’06, M.A.,

Professor of Social Work

Director of Digital Strategy

The Matthew T. Conlin, O.F.M.,

The James Knust Excellence in

Distinguished Service Award

Administration Award

REMEMBERING ALEXANDER WEBSTER CRUDEN JR. Alexander Webster Cruden Jr, known to his family as June, died on April 26, due to complications of COVID-19.

A Siena alumnus, he received his bachelor of business administration as well as his MBA from the College. He joined the teaching staff and was offered tenure as a professor of accounting in 1975 and continued to teach tax and accounting systems at Siena College for 33 years. Many of his former students will still remember his brush cut and dry sense of humor.

REMEMBERING ROMUALD CHINETSKY, O.F.M. Romuald Chinetsky, OFM, a professed Franciscan friar for 63 years, died March 10.

Fr. Chinetsky joined the Siena community in 1967 and began a 44-year stint as the friary’s guestmaster, maintaining the residence and managing hospitality, greeting visitors, and arranging guest accommodations.

In 2011, he retired and moved to Holy Name Friary in Ringwood, New Jersey. When the skilled nursing facility closed in 2019, he moved to Teresian House, not far from Siena College.

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UNPACKED: ZACH & ALYSSA BRIMMER

50 50

see each other as much (or as little) as they wanted, depending on the day!

•Zach and Alyssa both wear a CHAIN NECKLACE

AND CROSS every day. Faith has always been very important to them — the siblings have been in Catholic schools their entire lives, so Siena was a perfect choice.

•The Brimmers each wear a BRACELET WITH THE

•The Brimmer’s BEACH BALLS symbolize the leadership role they took on during Freshman Orientation. As student mentors, they made new friends and helped the incoming students fall in love with Siena, just like they did! Aside from being Orientation leaders, Zach and Alyssa are both heavily involved in other aspects of Student Life. Zach served as the president of the Commuter Student Association and was involved with the Student Activities office, and Alyssa served as the co-chair for the Siena Fest Concert this past year and works in the Student Activities and Student Life offices.

•Zach has his CAR KEY in his hand to represent

his choice of being a commuter; Alyssa is holding her DORM ROOM KEY to show her residency. The decision was completely theirs. Zach chose to save money, and as he likes to say, Alyssa didn’t mind spending hers!

No matter what, the Brimmers start and end each day together at the dining hall. That allowed them to

WORD “OHANA” inscribed on it. They live by the saying, “Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” This represents the bond between them and the importance of family - whether it be their real family or Siena family.

•Although siblings are bound to have occasional

disagreements, the Brimmers promise they don’t settle their arguments in the BOXING RING! Zach and Alyssa both share a love for exercise and boxing — spending a lot of free time at the studio working on their skills and technique. They constantly inspire each other to work harder and to keep fighting.

•Both entered Siena unsure what they wanted to

do or study in college. Ultimately, they both found their way to majors in management, with a variety of concentrations offered through the SCHOOL OF BUSINESS. Zach is currently working on his Siena MBA, and Alyssa plans to start her MBA next spring.

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515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, N.Y. 12211-1462

BELLS OF REMEMBRANCE The Bells of Remembrance were designed by Br. David Schlatter ’72, O.F.M., to ring in honor of Fr. Mychal Judge, O.F.M., a chaplain for the New York City Fire Department who died in the line of duty during the September 11 attacks. They’ve been rung for annual memorial commemorations in Manhattan, Shanksville, Arlington, and Boston.

Now, they have found a home at Siena.

The Bells will toll in sadness for systemic racism in our society; and ring for just and right relationships.

The Bells will toll in grief for those we have lost; and ring in universal love.

The Bells will toll in sorrow for the ignorance and fear that has caused the death of George Floyd and so many others; and ring in response to God’s call for humility.

The Franciscan friars have donated the bells to Siena.

The Class of ‘20 Senior Gift will support the installation of the bells on campus.